Write a system of equations to describe the situation below, solve using elimination, and fill in the blanks.There are two trails near Sandra's house that she runs regularly, a short loop and a long loop. Last week, she ran 6 short loops and 5 long loops, for a total of 38 miles. This week, she ran 6 short loops and 3 long loops, covering a total of 30 miles. What is the length of each loop?The short loop has a length of _ miles, and the long loop has a length of _ miles.
Q. Write a system of equations to describe the situation below, solve using elimination, and fill in the blanks.There are two trails near Sandra's house that she runs regularly, a short loop and a long loop. Last week, she ran 6 short loops and 5 long loops, for a total of 38 miles. This week, she ran 6 short loops and 3 long loops, covering a total of 30 miles. What is the length of each loop?The short loop has a length of _ miles, and the long loop has a length of _ miles.
Define variables: Define the variables for the lengths of the short and long loops.Let x be the length of the short loop in miles.Let y be the length of the long loop in miles.
Write equations: Write the system of equations based on the given information.First week: 6 short loops and 5 long loops for a total of 38 miles.6x+5y=38Second week: 6 short loops and 3 long loops for a total of 30 miles.6x+3y=30
Eliminate variable: Decide which variable to eliminate.We can eliminate x by subtracting the second equation from the first because the coefficients of x are the same in both equations.
Subtract equations: Subtract the second equation from the first to eliminate x.(6x+5y)−(6x+3y)=38−306x+5y−6x−3y=38−302y=8
Solve for y: Solve for y.2y=8y=28y=4
Substitute value: Substitute the value of y back into one of the original equations to solve for x. Using the second equation: 6x+3(4)=306x+12=306x=30−126x=18x=18/6x=3
Verify solution: Verify the solution by substituting the values of x and y into the other equation.Using the first equation: 6(3)+5(4)=3818+20=3838=38The values satisfy the equation, so the solution is correct.
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